# brain surgery

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/brain-surgery
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Anything overly complex, detailed, or confusing.

## Examples

- Setting up this new phone is not exactly brain surgery.
- You just need to follow the basic instructions; it is not brain surgery, so you will finish quickly.
- While the software update requires some patience and careful attention to detail, it is hardly brain surgery, and most users should manage it without professional assistance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.